Railway-track signal device



J. SMITH.

RAILWAY TRACK SIGNAL DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-6. 1917.

Patented June 24, 1919.

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RAILWAY TRACK SIGNAL DEVICE. APPLI CATION FILED AUG-6, 1917.

Patented June 24, 1919.

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JOHN SMITH, 0F SOUTI-IBBIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IRIAILWAY -TRAGK SIGNAL DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24, 1919.

Application filed August 6, 1917. Serial No. 184,593.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN SMITH, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, resident of Southbridge, county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Track Signal Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railway track signaling devices, and has as its principal object the provision of means which will cause an audible signal to be automatically operated upon the passage of a train at some distance from the signal box.

A further object is to provide means which intensify the sound produced by the signal bell, so that the same may be heard at a greater distance than is common, and finally, to provide such apparatus in forms which may be easily applied to existing track constructions without material change in the same, and which are comprised of few and simple parts.

These and other like objects are attained by the novel construction and combination of parts hereafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a railway track indicating the application of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the signal view of the signal casing.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the signal, its wiring and manner of operation.

In the drawings, the railway track indicated, comprises running rails 10 and 12, and is shown to cross a highway 11. Adjacent to the crossing is an audible signal 14, electrically connected with a battery in box 15, from which extend wires 16 and 18 t0 the respective track rails 10 and 12. It is to be understood that at the point of contact with the wheels 20 of a car a current is conducted through the axle 21 of the wheels from one rail to another, thereby forming a circuit inclosing the wire 18, and the battery in box 15, the current generated in said circuit being used to actuate a bell 24, contained within the signal box 14 in a well-known Copies 0! this patent may he obtained 01 manner. It will be clear that the contact made by the wheels with the rails may be at any distance from the signal box.

The invention relates particularly to the construction of the signal box 14, which is provided with extending lugs, by which it may be rigidly engaged to any convenient object, as to one of the telegraph poles adjacent to the crossing, as shown in Fig. 3.

Formed in the cover 25 of the signal box is a circular opening 26, covered with a closely meshed metallic netting 28, similar coverings 29 being arranged at the ends of the casing so as to prevent the intrusion of insects or the like which might disarrange the mechanism of the bell, the end openings being preferably adjacent to them the enlarged open ends of trumpets or amplifying horns 30, the inner ends being brought closely adjacent to the bell so 1 as to gather the sound therefrom.

\Vithin the central opening 26 is another amplifying horn 32, the smaller end of which is directly over the. bell 24, sov as to receive the sound therefrom, and it will be obvious that the sound produced by the bell will be intensified to a very considerable ex tent so that the same may be heard at a greater distance from the signal box than if the plain bell alone were used, and it will also be evident that the construction is of an exceedingly simple character which can readily be applied to existing crossings in an 1nexpens1ve manner.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing provided with sound openings in three of its walls and adapted to'be secured to a support with a train-operated electric bell disposed therein in approximately its center, closely meshed metal wire nettings covering said openings, and horns disposed with their inner reduced ends in close proximity to said bell and with their flanged outer widened ends adapted to be secured to the inner walls of said casing for intensifying the acoustic signals produced by the bell.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

JOHN SMITH. [1,. s.] In presence of WILIRID J. LANOUREUX.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 01 I'atents, Washington, D. 0."

oval in shape and having 

